The economy. For many people, hearing the word "economy" makes them shiver with fear. Oh, but not you. After you read this post and the article I share with you, you are going to be on your way to business success!

I don't know what the unemployment statistics are, but I'm sure they're pretty high. The first thing many big businesses do when times get tough is let go of people - and usually the first people to go are customer service reps. However, this is scarcity thinking.

As Susan L. Reid points out, "To Lay Off, or Not Lay Off. That Isn't the Question". In this article Susan offers 10 ways to stabilize your business during a recession. Another good article to read is "The Allure of Scarcity" published over at Management-Issues.

I agree that people need to get control of their thinking. This is not the time to play the blame game and make excuses for why their business isn't doing well. It's all a matter of thinking and believing that everything is going to be ok. There are many people who are making even more money now than they did before all this perceived economic chaos came into play, myself included.

Here's an idea that came to me...Instead of laying off customer service people, why not put them in a marketing role and challenge them to come up with ways to attract more customers? Give customer service reps something different to do to get their creative juices flowing. Your customer service reps can become your biggest allies with a little inspiration and diversity in work tasks. Answering phones all day is really boring - especially when it's slow. Believe me, I know!